hi, i hope you guys can help me out with some inquiries, i dont have a drone yet but looking to get one. However i require a few things clearing up before i decide this will be right for me.

1. i will be using the drone to inspect roof tops of buildings (with out actually climbing on top of them) and was wondering it i am able to view the on board cam for flight even if i cant see the drone? ( i.e. if the drone above the roof and not visible from the ground i can see live images on the cam to determine any problems up on the roof?

2. also i understand that the range isnt great however it can be extended but if you can view live images does the extended range also include extended cam range?

ill start with these 2 questions first and i hope to get some good responses

1. Yes, you can fly by what you see on the screen, to inspect roofs etc, but bear in mind the range from the handset. If your connection drops, the drone will just hover or descend, not ideal if you're over a roof. Good spatial awareness also helps, so you need to be aware of any obstacles around the drone in case a gust moves it out of position.

2. Not sure i fully understand your question, but my limited understanding is that recording to onboard USB means the drone isn't recording video over wifi, thus a more stable connection at the limits of range. I don't think you'll get more range this way, just fewer dropouts. Bear in mind the drone is sending video to the handset anyway to provide the 'cockpit view', so I think the difference is negligible, but more knowledgable folks here can correct me.

You can also greatly extend range by converting to RC, but additional cost and modification are required.

The range out of the box is 50 meters with a Smartphone or iOS device, within this 50 meter range you will be able to view on your screen what the Parrot AR.Drone is seeing and also records to device or usb stick.

If you require more range there are a few more options out there 1 being the Macgyver kit which allows you to fly between 150-250 meters. You will still be able to connect your Smartphone or iOS device to the Parrot AR.Drone while using this kit but remember the wifi range for viewing on screen is still only 50 meters but the drone will still record the footage to the USB stick.

Welcome Acid2000
We've built several custom hulls for chimney sweeps and roofers who want to survey the roofs.
One if our hulls had a laser pointer, so they could see exactly where the camera was looking?
Plenty if stock here if you need anything.

I'm going to say a couple of things about your application. The AR Drone is probably a tad lightweight for what you want to do but it can certainly do it. You will need to gain some basic experience with it first and see how it applies to your exact requirements.

You will probably want to alter the angle of your forward facing camera so it points nearly down so you get good coverage of the roof top. In fact not directly down but maybe 45-55 degrees so when its looking down on the rooftop you do not need to be directly above it but safely alongside it in case it comes down. The down facing camera will not be adequate enough for what you want to do it's very low resolution.

I would recommend for complete control, and a finesse of control needed for an application such as this to use a RC mod to control your drone. It will give you far better control to precisely position it where you need to and also the confidence of operating it without the problem of interference using WiFi control link.

Using a RC radio though will negate using video as your flying by direct line of sight. You could however do a couple of things one of which is also connect using your phone or tablet and just observe the video link as you control by RC. This would work ok as long as your Wifi link stays up and doesn't break up the video.

You could also just use the USB to record a flight over the building, perhaps guiding it as someone else suggested via a laser pointer to get it where you need and then land and check the USB footage on a laptop or your tablet via USB.

Another option is to use an external HD camera such as a GoPro to fly over the building using RC again and then check it's footage.

Lots of options and all dependant on the enviroment you want to do this in and the options you wish to consider.

To touch on what Daza said about this being light weight, I agree and want to stress that. Anything over slight breeze can really affect this drone and you will find using it to inspect roofs will be become very difficult.

Adjusting the front camera would be a must (very easy to do) so you can see whats infront of you.

RC is an option but depending on what your survaying, houses, apartment buildings, all diffrent. A strong repeater like the SR10000(about $100) that can be run from a 12v source from your truck would give you more then enough coverage around a house to scan using a tablet.

Best part of this, if you do lose sight of your drone, and lose orentation, you can just increase altitude and find it again. I also dont think your worried about having it land on the roof, it seems you have the ability to get on the roofs if needed.

Also should consider the short flight time. Stock battery maybe 8-10mins, 2 hour charge time. If you have a lot of places to look at, you will need several batterys. Not all batterys are created equal, many have a faster charge time, but cost more. Or you can get several LiPro's that have long charge time, but are around $10 a piece.

Again, if you will lose LOS on your drone around a building, having a repeator would be best. And nothing says if you have an e-landing on a roof, once you got signal back you couldnt have it take right back off.